Makes a Man Think
by Anne Lessing
Summary: Darth Maul's body is found at the bottom of the core generator. One-shot; written in stageplay format.


_A small area, darkened. STEEL WALLS rise on either side. A small pool of light forms in the center--in that light is a BODY, unmoving. We can see faint, jagged stripes of RED and BLACK._

_A ladder lowers. Two uniformed men climb down, MAINTENANCE WORKERS. They study the walls for a time, then notice the body._

**Maintenance worker 1**

What in the name of--

**Maintenance worker 2**

_(walks over)_

'E looks _dead...._

_(nudges body with foot, at first slightly, then harder)_

**M.W. 2**

Yeah, 'e's dead all right.

**M.W. 1**

_(studies body)_

Wonder who he was. Drug dealer, you think?

**M.W. 2**

I _seen_ drug dealers before--

**M.W. 1**

Hey, he don't have no legs!

**M.W 2**

_(irritated)_

Well, that's prob'ly why 'e _died_, ain't it? Lemme finish!

**M.W. 1**

Sorry.

**M.W. 2**

As I was _sayin'_, I seen drug dealers before, and this poor guy ain't one of 'im. Lookit the tattoos on 'im!

**M.W. 1**

Musta hurt.

**M.W. 2**

Well, guess we gotta take 'im back up...have 'im cremated.

_(moves to pick body up, but notices a gleam of silver a ways away)_

**M.W. 2 **

_(points)_

Is that what I think it is?

**M.W. 1**

_(picks it up; a long, cylindrical object, with openings on either side)_

Yeah...it's one 'a those things the Jedi use...light swords, or sumthin' like that...

**M.W. 2**

Saber rods.

**M.W. 1**

Ain't it "lightsabers?"

**M.W 2**

_(affectionate)_

'Course not, dummy--I knows my stuff. That there's a Saber Rod.

**M.W. 1**

Think he was a Jedi?

**M.W. 2**

Hey--maybe 'e fell down here a month ago! Remember? There was sumthin' goin' on here with the Jedi and whatnot, a fight, and management was tryin' to cover it up?

**M.W. 1**

Yeah yeah yeah, I 'member that. One of 'em died here, wasn't it? Qui-what's-his-face?

**M.W. 2**

This might be 'im.

**M.W. 1**

But why would a Jedi have markings like this? They look real scary, and, you know...Jedi aren't supposed to be scary.

**M.W. 2**

True, true.

_(Silence. They think.)_

**M.W. 2**

_(snaps fingers)_

I got it! What if this chap's the one the Jedi was fightin'?

**M.W. 1**

Yeah! You're so smart.

**M.W. 2**

I know.

**M.W. 1**

He's probably a Sith.

**M.W. 2**

_(balks)_

Whattya you, nuts? They're not real!

**M.W. 1**

I'm just sayin'...I mean, who else would have a Saber Rod, but not be a Jedi? And the tattoos?

**M.W. 2**

Well--

**M.W. 1**

I'm telling you, this here chump's a _Sith._

_(both stare at the body, suddenly uncomfortable)_

**M.W. 2**

Well, now I got the heebie-jeebies. _Thanks_ for that.

**M.W. 1**

_(lost in musing)_

Musta been a hard end. No legs. And what if he didn't die when he landed? What if he just _laid_ here?

**M.W. 2**

You ain't helpin'!

**M.W. 1**

But still...musta been a hard end. I wonder...

**M.W. 2**

_(backing towards ladder)_

_Now_ what?

**M.W.1**

I wonder why he had to be killed at all. I mean, Jedi and Sith, they both use the Force, right?

**M.W. 2**

_(pauses)_

Of course.

**M.W. 1**

Then why couldn't they just, like, rehabilitate him or sumthin'? Makes no sense to kill one 'a your own kind.

**M.W. 2**

_Can we talk about this later?_

**M.W. 1**

One minute, will ya? It makes a man think!

**M.W. 2**

You ain't never thought in your entire life. Why start when there's a bleedin' _Sith_ 'ere?

**M.W. 1**

He's _dead._

**M.W. 2**

Fine. You stay. I'm gonna _live,_ if you don't mind!

_(frantically climbs up; the metallic clink of boots on metal fades steadily)_

**M.W. 1**

Well...makes a man _think..._

_(Echoes. He shudders, but stands resolute.)_

**M.W. 1 **

What I'm sayin' is that Jedi and Sith...light and dark, I guess...they ain't all that different, are they?

_(walks to body, looking directly down into its face)_

**M.W. 1 **

It ain't your fault you ended up on the wrong side, is it? You thought what you was doin' was _right_, and you died for it. You thought you was usin' the Force the way its _'sposed_ to be used. It ain't your fault you're wrong, or that they thought you was. Light and dark, y'know...not all that different.

_(cocks head, and smiles)_

**M.W. 1 **

But what am I sayin'? You can't even hear me.

_(Businesslike, he bends down to lift the body--and it stirs feebly. He jumps back)_

**M.W. 1**

Hey--no--what??? You're--you ain't--are ya???

_(Pointing wildly at the body, he backs into the ladder. He turns and scrambles up without a backwards glance, yelling for all he's worth.)_

**M.W. 1**

Wait for me, Mitch! I'm _comin', don't leave me here!!_

_(Climbs up, offstage. The body stirs one final time, then resides, and nothing is left but the pool of light and the crushing silence.)_

_END_


End file.
